Lou Diamond Phillips is a Filipino American actor and director. His breakthrough came when he starred as Ritchie Valens in the biographical drama film La Bamba. He made his Broadway debut with the 1996 revival of The King and I, earning a Tony Award nomination for his portrayal of King Mongkut of Siam. Phillips other notable films include Young Guns, Young Guns II, Courage Under Fire, The Big Hit, Brokedown Palace, Che and The 33.
Birth Name
Lou Diamond Upchurch
Nickname
Lou
Profession
Actor, Director, Businessman
Nationality
Filipino, American
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Lou Diamond Phillips was born on the 17th of February 1962, in U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay, Olongapo, Zambales, Philippines.
Age
He’s currently 60 years old.
Residence
Los Angeles, California, United States
Sun Sign
Aquarius
Ethnicity
Multiracial (White and Asian)
His mother, a native of Candelaria, Zambales, is Filipina and his father was an American of Scots-Irish descent.
Religion
Christianity
Education
Lou graduated from Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi in 1980 and from the University of Texas at Arlington with a bachelor of fine arts in drama.
Family Details
- Father – Gerald Amon Upchurch (Marine KC-130 crew chief)
- Mother – Lucita Umayam Aranas
- Siblings – Unknown
Marital Status
Married
Girlfriend / Spouse
Lou Diamond Phillips has dated –
- Julie Cypher (1986-1990) – Lou first met assistant director, Julie Cypher during the shooting of Trespasses. They dated for a year and got married on September 17, 1987. However, the marriage did not last long and the couple parted ways on August 5, 1990.
- Jennifer Tilly (1990-1994) – Lou and actress Jennifer Tilly first met on the sets of Canadian-French adventure film Shadow of the Wolf. The couple got engaged in between but broke up in 1994.
- Kelly Phillips (1993-2007) – Lou first met the Penthouse model and television extra Kelly Phillips in 1993. The couple dated for a year and tied the knot on April 24, 1994. They are parents to 3 daughters – twins Grace Moorea and Isabella Patricia (b. October 1997), and Lili Jordan (b. September 1999). The couple got divorced on July 30, 2007.
- Yvonne Boismier (2004-Present) – In 2004, Lou started dating makeup artist, Yvonne Boismier. They married in August 2007 and together they are parents to a daughter, Indigo, who was born in October 2007.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 11 inches
- In centimeters – 181 cm
- In meters – 1.81 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 76 kg
- In Pounds – 168 lbs
Body Build
Athletic
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Hair Color
Black
Shoe Size
His shoe size is 11 (US).
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Diamond breakthrough came when he starred as Ritchie Valens in the biographical drama film La Bamba (1987). For the Academy Award-nominated Stand and Deliver (1988), Phillips was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and won an Independent Spirit Award.
Film Debut
In 1984, Lou made his theatrical film debut in American science fiction film Interface as Punk #1.
Television Debut
In 1985, Phillips made his first television show appearance on the prime time television soap opera Dallas as Sidewalk Thug.
Brand Endorsements
Diamond has done advertisement work for California PTA.
Lou Diamond Phillips Net worth
Lou Diamond Phillips has an estimated net worth of $6 million dollars as of 2023.
Social Media Profiles
- Twitter – Lou Diamond Phillips
Some Lesser Known Facts About Lou Diamond Phillips
- In 1986, Phillips made his Hollywood debut with a low budget film, Trespasses.
- In 1987, he got his first big break in the American biographical film La Bamba where he played the role of singer-songwriter Ritchie Valens.
- In 1988, Phillips co-starred with Edward James Olmos in the inner-city high school drama Stand and Deliver, in a role for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor- Motion Picture and won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male
- In September 1991, he was adopted by an Oglala Lakota Sioux family in a traditional ceremony, although he has claimed to be part Cherokee.
- In 1996, Phillips made his Broadway debut as the King in Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s The King and I. He won a Theatre World Award and was nominated for both a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for his performance.
- In 1997, Diamond won Blockbuster Entertainment Award and Lone Star Film & Television Award for Best Supporting Actor for Courage Under Fire.
- In 2003, he starred in a cameo role with Harrison Ford in an action-comedy film Hollywood Homicide.
- In August 11, 2006, Phillips was arrested for domestic violence at his Los Angeles home following a dispute with his live-in girlfriend and future wife, Yvonne Boismier.
- In December 2006, he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of domestic battery and was sentenced to three years of probation.
- In May 2009, Phillips placed 31st of 403 entrants in the 2009 California State Poker Championship Limit Texas hold ’em. He won $10,000 during the July 2009 World Series of Poker World Championship No Limit main event. He was eliminated as the original field of 6,494 was trimmed from 407 to 185. He entered the day in 114th place among the 407 and was eliminated on the final hand of the day finishing in 186th place and earning $36,626.
- In January 2012, Diamond was one of eight celebrities participating in the Food Network reality series Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off.
- In January 29, 2012, he was announced as the winner with a Zagat score of 28 out of 30, thereby winning $50,000 for his charity.
- In June 2012, Philips began co-starring in the television series Longmire about a modern-day sheriff played by Robert Taylor.
- In 2014, he also guest-starred in The Wiggles Rock and Roll PreSchool DVD and made guest appearances on their TV program on ABC.
- In July 2014, he replaced the injured Jason Scott Lee in Opera Australia’s Melbourne production of The King and I, reprising his role as the King of Siam, playing opposite Lisa McCune as Anna Leonowens.
- In 2016, Philips portrayed serial killer Richard Ramirez in The Night Stalker.
- In November 3, 2017, Diamond was arrested for driving while intoxicated in Portland, Texas, after stopping his vehicle to ask a police officer for directions.
